Why bother

[ScottDLS]

I am with Andy on this. I plan to keep my license based on the data that Mr. Cotton has shared in the past. If I remember correctly (please correct me if I am wrong), police are 7 times more likely to commit a crime than a LTC holder. The general population is 20 + times more likely to commit a crime than a LTC holder. Why give up your LTC and drop yourself into a group that is much more likely to commit a crime. A large portion of the police know these statistics and respect/appreciate LTC holders.

I generally agree, however in some cases an LTC might not be beneficial. Some years ago in New Jersey I had an 'ahem' "interaction" with law enforcement in which they had the opportunity to find my CHL in my wallet. They actually asked me if I was carrying, to which I replied, "I am in New Jersey, I am not that stupid", though unfortunately I was not smart enough to avoid said "interaction".

[longtooth]

I am with Andy on this. I plan to keep my license based on the data that Mr. Cotton has shared in the past. If I remember correctly (please correct me if I am wrong), police are 7 times more likely to commit a crime than a LTC holder. The general population is 20 + times more likely to commit a crime than a LTC holder. Why give up your LTC and drop yourself into a group that is much more likely to commit a crime. A large portion of the police know these statistics and respect/appreciate LTC holders.

Agree w/ everything above. The 2 stats given are the ones I used in class before I retired. I also added one. I have pastored a Country Baptist Church since 1974. I also told my class if all preachers are put in a group I don't have the numbers because the stated of Texas does not keep stats on the group, BUT, sadly preachers get arrested more often than LTC holders too. I would ask them when was the last time a preacher mad the news for crime and arrest. Then when was the last time they read in the news about a LTC holder arrested. Never got any argument.
There is not a group that I know of with a better "No Arrest" record than LTC holders.

[1wise1]

My my, how times have changed. I am old enough to remember the cries of many who saw it as a violation of their privacy to have to "register" in order to carry a gun. We got over it.. now the game has changed to: "stay registered" because it is the smart thing to do. Military has a term for that: "Mission Creep" Politicians bank on it using the term "Patience"... Now we are asking them to allow us to stay registered.

[ScottDLS]

My my, how times have changed. I am old enough to remember the cries of many who saw it as a violation of their privacy to have to "register" in order to carry a gun. We got over it.. now the game has changed to: "stay registered" because it is the smart thing to do. Military has a term for that: "Mission Creep" Politicians bank on it using the term "Patience"... Now we are asking them to allow us to stay registered.

I view it a little differently. In 1991 when I moved to Texas, there was generally NO way to legally carry a handgun in Texas in public, or even in your car. In 1996 nine years after Florida went "shall issue", Texas finally got with the program and allowed permitted concealed carry, I got my permit that year. Over the years it expanded to permitless car carry, open carry, and finally 25 years after CHL, permitless handgun carry. Now Clinton and the Brady bunch gave us Federal NICS checks on FFL purchases. The feds are going to get the data anyway, so I might as well give it to the state and avoid NICS check.

[1wise1]

Not a criticism so much as an observation on the times: "They are going to know anyway" I suppose it is old fashioned of me (indicative of my age) to think I still have some privacy rights in America... and ESPECIALLY Texas. I am not required to report to someone when I go pee in a restroom.. but yeah, I am when I pick up a prescription for anything stronger than Aspirin. Anybody bought a can of spray paint lately? "show us your driver's license". My God, I got "carded" the other night at a WalMart buying a can of gloss white. I am 82 years old... look 80 years old... had to prove my age. It is like we are in the Twilight Zone... reality is out of phase with the rule makers. The rule makers are out of phase with good sense. Good sense died a difficult death after WWII.. One can not help but wonder when OR IF, we might return to the freedoms and sensibilities that were lost when that (my) generation grew into adulthood. We used to laugh at the term "Nanny State"... naaah we will never go down that rabbit hole. It is getting darker and darker down here.

[Jose_in_Dallas]

Many benefits to keeping the LTC... see the outline here

https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/handg ... c-benefits

PERFECT! Thanks for the link. I'm sharing that with several of my friends who are to cheap to spend the money to keep their LTC.

[ScottDLS]

Not a criticism so much as an observation on the times: "They are going to know anyway" I suppose it is old fashioned of me (indicative of my age) to think I still have some privacy rights in America... and ESPECIALLY Texas. I am not required to report to someone when I go pee in a restroom.. but yeah, I am when I pick up a prescription for anything stronger than Aspirin. Anybody bought a can of spray paint lately? "show us your driver's license". My God, I got "carded" the other night at a WalMart buying a can of gloss white. I am 82 years old... look 80 years old... had to prove my age. It is like we are in the Twilight Zone... reality is out of phase with the rule makers. The rule makers are out of phase with good sense. Good sense died a difficult death after WWII.. One can not help but wonder when OR IF, we might return to the freedoms and sensibilities that were lost when that (my) generation grew into adulthood. We used to laugh at the term "Nanny State"... naaah we will never go down that rabbit hole. It is getting darker and darker down here.

Yeah, I am 54 and I don't look 17 or 20, so I am not going to produce my ID to buy a six pack or a bottle of whiskey. Unless I am in a cantankerous mood, in which case I will give them one of my gun permits, and if the permit I give them is a Texas LTC they are actually required to accept it, though they shouldn't be asking to begin with.

[Soccerdad1995]

I'm in the fortunate position to be 3 years away from my LTC renewal date, so I will make the decision then. But in a hypothetical situation, if I was up for renewal soon, I'd go ahead and renew. There is too much unknown about exactly how prevalent 30.05 signage will be, etc.

As a non-hypothetical, my oldest daughter just turned 21, and asked me to give her a gun. But she said she wanted to first get her LTC. Then again, she is currently attending college so that's another consideration for her (campus carry).

[comsec]

Absolutely will renew here. Any arguments against are specious IMHO. Benefits greatly outweigh the modest cost.

[longtooth]

Absolutely will renew here. Any arguments against are specious IMHO. Benefits greatly outweigh the modest cost.

Agree completely. Mine has to renew by Jan.14,2022 and I have not hesitated. Checked the DPS web site and it said "MAILED".

[Liberty]

I'll renew as long as I am still alive. I'm an older than 65 Vet. I am not so sure I would renew if it still costs $140 to renew and we had to class for another $100. It's got easier and cheaper to renew. Even for first-timers the costs and the time invested have gone down.

I don't think a lot of us would bother licensing or renewing if it had not got easier and cheaper to renew.

[03Lightningrocks]

My my, how times have changed. I am old enough to remember the cries of many who saw it as a violation of their privacy to have to "register" in order to carry a gun. We got over it.. now the game has changed to: "stay registered" because it is the smart thing to do. Military has a term for that: "Mission Creep" Politicians bank on it using the term "Patience"... Now we are asking them to allow us to stay registered.

This. I always saw an LTC as begging for permission from the government to exercise my constitutional right. I still do.

[AndyC1911]

My my, how times have changed. I am old enough to remember the cries of many who saw it as a violation of their privacy to have to "register" in order to carry a gun. We got over it.. now the game has changed to: "stay registered" because it is the smart thing to do. Military has a term for that: "Mission Creep" Politicians bank on it using the term "Patience"... Now we are asking them to allow us to stay registered.

I wasn't here when that all started, so I have no skin in that "privacy" game.

However, when it comes to being able to protect my life (and that of others, yadda yadda), "registering" with a state organization (whom I trust far more than any federal bunch anyway) that I might (or might not, as the mood took me) want to carry a gun (which I might - or might not - own) was a minor (and even enjoyable) issue in practice - albeit, philosophically-speaking, a much larger issue in terms of Constitutional rights.

Now we have the choice to carry avec/sans license. I figure 1) I'm already on the list anyway and 2) there are specific advantages to staying on it; concerns over some perceived "privacy" issue doesn't factor into it for me at all - although I do appreciate any concerns over creeping government encroachment.

[chamberc]

My my, how times have changed. I am old enough to remember the cries of many who saw it as a violation of their privacy to have to "register" in order to carry a gun. We got over it.. now the game has changed to: "stay registered" because it is the smart thing to do. Military has a term for that: "Mission Creep" Politicians bank on it using the term "Patience"... Now we are asking them to allow us to stay registered.

I wasn't here when that all started, so I have no skin in that "privacy" game.

However, when it comes to being able to protect my life (and that of others, yadda yadda), "registering" with a state organization (whom I trust far more than any federal bunch anyway) that I might (or might not, as the mood took me) want to carry a gun (which I might - or might not - own) was a minor (and even enjoyable) issue in practice - albeit, philosophically-speaking, a much larger issue in terms of Constitutional rights.

Now we have the choice to carry avec/sans license. I figure 1) I'm already on the list anyway and 2) there are specific advantages to staying on it; concerns over some perceived "privacy" issue doesn't factor into it for me at all - although I do appreciate any concerns over creeping government encroachment.

Everyone is on the list. I've been in Fortune 100 Retail/eCommerce for over 25 years and I can assure you, even if you use cash, you have zero privacy in any thing you're doing... physical or digital.

[AndyC1911]

You're right, of course - privacy is pretty much gone these days but we can/should still be alert for creeping government encroachment, which I believe is the larger concern behind 1wise1's post.